Graduation Speech delivered by Guest of Honour,  Professor Mariëtte Lowes
 
“It is my privilege, as Vice-Rector: Academic of the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University to extend a warm and hearty welcome to you all at this graduation ceremony where the Advanced Certificate in Education, the National Professional Diploma in Education and the Honours Bachelor of Education will be awarded.

This is a very important day for all of us.  For the graduants in the first placed it is a particular important day for this is the final award for toil and labour over a number of years.  We know that obtaining this qualification has required a tremendous amount of sacrifice and preservation, self-discipline and dedication.  My sincerest congratulations on your achievements!

It is also an important day for the University as it is the confirmation of your successes as our students and customers and of our own success as a provider of education and training.  Further more it is important for the University that graduants attend graduation ceremonies.  It is important to see you walking over the stage, being acknowledged for your hard work and experiencing the satisfaction of attending the ceremony.  For the University this is a ceremony which signifies the old tradition and ritual which is associated with the true nature of a university.  We are therefore extremely glad you are attending today’s graduation.

The North-West University is the result of a merger that took place in 2004 between the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and the University of the North West in Mafikeng.  The merged new university is now the 6^th largest in the country with 45 000 registered students.  On the Mafikeng campus 9 000 students are enrolled and on the Vaaldriehoek campus 3 200 students are enrolled.  On the Potchefstroom campus 34 000 students are enrolled with 22 000 off-campus students mainly in the Faculties of Educational Sciences and Health.

The University is now in the fifth year following the merger process which started at the beginning of 2004.  We believe that this is one of the most successful mergers of higher education institutions in the country.  The merger was planned in such a manner that the stability of activities such as the teaching, learning and research were maintained while changes were brought about in the structure and the management of the new university.

The budget of the University is now in the region of R1.5 billion and the Potchefstroom Campus, were you have been enrolled, contributes to the effect of R900 million to the overall budget of the NWU.  The Faculty of Educational Sciences has an income of R128 million for 2008 and is thus the faculty that makes the fourth most substantial contribution to the coffers of the university.  The number of students in this faculty, however, puts it in another bracket – 3 500 students are registered and study on the campus while another 24 000 students are so-called off-campus students.  This makes it the largest faculty of education in the country.

The School of Curriculum Studies from which you are graduating today enrolled 2200 students this year of which 280 are off-campus students.  A total of 51 academic staff members are employed in the School and also a further 20 administrative staff members.

For the NWU there are three core activities, which are of strategic and of critical importance.  These are the teaching and learning, research and innovation and community engagement activities,  In addition, a number of other mission elements are identified which are of strategic importance to the University to ensure success and progress.  This year additional attention will be given to the mission element of enhancing being a value driven institution.  Except for those values stated in the Constitution of South Africa, the University promotes actions and behaviour, which subscribes to the values of integrity, respect, accountability and commitment.  A further mission element for the NWU is to ensure that the University is managed in a effective manner and that it is recognized on international level.  In 2007 the NWU has been awarded, together with the Central University of Technology, the PriceWaterhouseCoopers award for the best managed institution for higher education.  Lastly, a third mission element has been identified namely to ensure that transformation is taking place in the broader sense of the word namely that the University is positioned appropriately in the higher education landscape and also in terms of the academic and equity profile.

The cooperation agreement between Cedar College of Education started in 1998 with the then Potchefstroom University of Christian Higher Education.  With the merger between the University of the North West and the PU for CHE, the agreement was transferred to incorporate the new entity of the NWU.  Over the last eleven years the favourable relationship between the two institutions have benefited several students and made the undergraduate and post-graduate education and training of a large number of teacher possible.  The increase in the number of students registered this year is seen as a positive indication that there is an increased need and the two institutions are proud to be able to meet those needs.

The ever increasing demand for more and better qualified teachers are one of the reasons why the Faculty of Education at the NWU is the largest in the country.  It is estimated that there is a shortage of at least 85 000 teachers in SA and only 6 500 newly qualified teachers are graduating every year from all universities responsible for teacher education and training.  This effort between CCE and NWU to add to the numbers of qualified teachers, and in particular teachers who will serve in the mission field, is thus of particular significance and can just be further encouraged and supported.

Finally I would like to congratulate all the graduants here today!  Every one of you receiving your certificate today can be proud of the achievement of successfully taking up the personal responsibility for competing your studies.  We salute and congratulate you all.

You have now acquired additional skills and knowledge and you are surely equipped to make a difference in your work environment.  As you have a tremendous task as a teacher in this country, please be aware of the University’s continued support for further development and education.  We all rely on your continued devotion and efforts to improve education.”